GANNET. 127 



GANNET. Snia hassana, (L.) 



Yarrell, iv. p. 155 ; ffarting, p. 75 ; Dresser, vi. p. 181 ; Scebohm, 

 in. p. 643 ; Ibis List, p. 106 ; Pelecanus bassanus, Fulteney's 

 List, p. 22. 



The Gannet does not breed anywhere on the 

 Dorsetshire coast, but visits us in the autumn and 

 winter months. It arrives about October and leaves 

 again in April, being most plentiful during the Sprat 

 season. The bill of this bird differs from that of 

 other sea-foAvl in the position and appearance of the 

 nostrils, which are reduced to an extremely narrow 

 slit on either side of the upper mandible, a provision 

 which, with the peculiar form of the sternum, enables 

 it to sustain the shock to its ponderous body when 

 plunging into the sea from a great height after fish. 

 When following the Sprats, they adopt different 

 tactics, and instead of plunging upon them from a 

 height, fly low over the surface of the water like 

 Gulls, scooping up the Sprats without alighting. 

 They fish during the flowing tide, and at the ebb rest 

 motionless on the water, when they are sometimes so 

 gorged as to allow a sailing-boat to run up within a 

 few yards of them. Occasionally one is washed ashore 

 dead or dying. Mr. T. M. Pike writes: " Gannets at 

 times are numerous between Christchurch Lodge and 

 the Poole Bar. On one occasion quite a hundred of 

 these fine birds could have been seen taking their 

 splendid 'headers' into the sea just outside the 

 narrow spit of land between Bourne shore and the 

 sandbanks. They never trust themselves inside the 



